Michigan Cub Scout breaks regional record for popcorn sales
Mason Schlafer, a 10-year-old Cub Scout in Pack 4055 of the Michigan Crossroads Council, sold a lot of popcorn this year.
So much, the council and its popcorn supplier say, that Mason broke a Central Region record.
To date, the Cub Scout has sold more than $20,800 worth of the stuff, and the motivation for his record-breaking haul is rooted firmly in the Scout Oath: “to help other people at all times.”
And the winner is …
At a recent Pinewood Derby, Mason noticed that the trophies the pack presented to winners were a little, let’s say, lacking.
They actually were plastic glasses spray-painted gold — a clever and inexpensive solution. But, says Andrea Fearnley of Pack 4055, Mason wanted something a little more official.
“Mason said he’d prefer real trophies,” Fearnley told Jane Parikh, public relations director for the Michigan Crossroads Council. “I remember thinking, ‘So would I, but we’re working with a very limited budget!’”
And so Mason set a sales goal for himself: $10,000 — enough to pay for the trophies (and lots more Pack 4055 fun) well beyond next year.
“He wanted to make sure that he had enough trophies for them for a few years,” Matt Schafler, Mason’s dad, told Parikh.
A broken record
Turns out the $10,000 goal was nothing for Mason. He sold more than twice that, setting a record in the region that includes Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia.
The money will fund 10 years’ worth of trophies for the pack and cover the cost of camp for Mason and his father.
This cool story has been spreading far and wide, covered on TV, online and on the radio.
And here’s my favorite part: What Mason accomplished is just one awesome example of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts selling popcorn to fund their Scouting adventures.
Additional reporting by Jane Parikh, public relations director for the Michigan Crossroads Council.